Saturday, May 31, 2003

Incident: Operation Ali Baba

Today Killy Tilford, a shop assistant at a photography shop, will describe for the BBC photographs that were brought into her shop by Fusilier Gary Bartlam for development. The photographs depict British soldiers abusing Iraqi detainees. In one year and 9 month's time, two British soldiers will be convicted, and the abuses will revealed.

A group of Iraqis caught looting from an aid camp known as Camp Breadbasket were detained by British soldiers. The photographs show that they were hung from forklifts, beaten, stood on, and forced to simulate sex acts with one another.

Major Dan Taylor, who was in charge of Camp Breadbasket and the detention, will deny that he told soldiers to "beast" looters - a military term meaning to work someone hard. He will also deny that he permitted "trophy photographs" to be taken.